Electricity Generating Playground Equipment and Method

Abstract

An electricity generating playground device configured for recreational activity by children includes a playground device having a cyclically movable part. An electricity generator is operably coupled to the cyclically movable part, and operable to generate electricity when the cyclically movable part is moved through a cyclical motion. A duty cycle controller is operably coupled to the electricity generator, and operable to convert a predetermined portion of the kinetic energy of the cyclically movable part to usable electricity.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM[0001]Benefit is claimed of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 921,638, filed Apr. 2, 2007, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates generally to playground equipment.[0004]2. Related Art[0005]It has been demonstrated that improving educational systems and opportunities has unparalleled influence in improving the well being of communities and societies. Though most education occurs within families and households, much of the knowledge required to assist individuals to be successful in their society is formally obtained in schools.[0006]Unfortunately, formal education in many developing countries is severely limited by depressed economic conditions. For example, while formal education is often required by law in many developing countries, the national governments provide little financial support for such education, and poverty stricken ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The inventor of the present invention has recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a method for producing and storing electricity to power lights in schools and homes that are not connected to a power grid. Additionally, the inventor has recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a method and device for generating a usable amount of electricity from a cyclical or reciprocal playground device while minimizing undesirable drag on the playground device. Additionally, the inventor has recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a method and device for generating a usable amount of electricity from rotary playground devices that allow for off centering and wobble of the rotary playground device with respect to the electrical generator.

[0011]In accordance with a more detailed aspect of the present invention, the playground device can include a merry-go-round with a double bearing shaft coupled to a post at each of a pair of spaced apart bearings. The spaced apart bearings can be sufficiently spaced apart from one another to minimize wobble of the merry-go-round on the merry-go-round engagement end of the double bearing shaft.

[0012]Additionally, a reverse helical gear box can be coupled to the double bearing shaft and the electricity generator. The reverse helical gear box can include a reverse helical gear that can transmit and increase the rotational speed from the double bearing shaft to the electrical generator.

Problems solved by technology

It has been demonstrated that improving educational systems and opportunities has unparalleled influence in improving the well being of communities and societies.

Unfortunately, formal education in many developing countries is severely limited by depressed economic conditions.

For example, while formal education is often required by law in many developing countries, the national governments provide little financial support for such education, and poverty stricken local communities must bear the full cost of educating their children.

As a result, in many rural, economically depressed areas, schools are constructed of mud adobe type materials with few or no windows, and no modern amenities such as plumbing and electricity.

Since these schools do not have electrical power, they are not equipped with electrical lighting, and students and teachers must rely on natural light which is inadequate due to lack of windows in the school structure and which is only available during daylight hours.

However, the financial and natural resources simply are too scarce in many of these developing nations to provide usable power to these communities.

Alternate resources such as manpower and labor resources can often be found in greater abundance, but tapping into available human resources to provide electrical power has only had limited success.

Some attempts to tap into this kid-power, unfortunately, these attempts have been less successful because extracting sufficient energy from play devices to charge a deep cycle battery has made the playground devices difficult to operate due to drag on the playground device from the electrical generating equipment.

Additionally, gear transmissions on cyclical or rotary equipment often have to be nearly perfectly aligned, thereby causing the power generating equipment to be very expensive to purchase, install and maintain.

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